Effect of long term thermal aging on SCC initiation susceptibility in L-grade austenitic stainless steels

Kaji, Yoshiyuki  ; Aoki, So  ; Kondo, Keietsu  ; Yamamoto, Masahiro 

The influence of long term thermal aging (LTA) on SCC initiation susceptibility in L-grade austenitic stainless steels (SSs) has been investigated using Creviced Bent Beam (CBB) tests. Test materials were type 304L and 316L SSs, and aging heat treatments were conducted at 288C in air for up to 14000 hours followed by solution-annealing (SA) or 20% cold-working (CW). The evaluation of the SCC initiation susceptibility was conducted by CBB tests in BWR simulated high-temperature water at 288C for 1000 hours. It was revealed by CBB tests that 304L-SA, 304L-CW, 304L-SA+LTA, 304L-CW+LTA, 316L-SA 316L-CW and 316L-SA+LTA showed no SCC initiation susceptibility, whereas 316L-CW+LTA showed high SCC susceptibility. To clarify the cause of SCC initiation in 316L-CW+LTA, several investigations are in progress from the viewpoint of mechanical properties, cold-rolling texture, microstructure and michrochemistry after LTA. It is considered that the low temperature sensitization was not the main cause of SCC in 316L-CW+LTA, because the TEM/EDX analysis on the 316L+LTA and 316L-CW+LTA specimens showed no chromium depletion in the vicinity of grain boundaries. In this presentation, we will explain the further investigation results for effect of LTA on SCC initiation susceptibility in L-grade austenitic SSs.